PORRIDGE (an altered

See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of " pottage," Fr. pelage, soup, that which is cooked in a pot)  , a food made by stirring meal, especially oatmeal, in boiling water and cooking it slowly until the whole becomes soft . The dish and its name are particularly identified with Scotland; in Ireland it is commonly known as " stir-about." The former application to a broth made of vegetables or of meat and vegetables thickened with barley or other meal is obsolete, and the earlier " pottage " is the usual word employed . The form " porridge " apparently dates from the 16th century .